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Maas Attends Foreign Affairs Council (Excerpts)

Weapon Program:

Missile

Foreign Minister Heiko Maas met his counterparts from the other EU countries in Brussels today to discuss several pressing areas of conflict in international affairs. They talked about the conflict in Ukraine, the nuclear deal with Iran and the brutal war in Yemen. The tensions between Serbia and Kosovo were also on the agenda.

The foreign minister issued the following statement on arriving in Brussels:

The nuclear agreement with Iran is important for security in Europe. We want to ensure that payment channels remain open so that economic activity can continue in Iran. On issues like Iran’s conduct in Syria, the missile programme and human rights, we need to talk to Iran – and exert pressure if need be.

The activities of Iran’s intelligence services in Europe were another subject which needed to be addressed, Maas added. These developments, he said, were unacceptable and their continuation would not be tolerated.

Nuclear Timetable

This report provides an estimate of how soon Iran could have fueled a nuclear weapon before the implementation of the new nuclear agreement reached in 2015. It is phrased in the present tense from the standpoint of a reader looking forward from the autumn of 2015, shortly after the agreement was reached. The data below, which are based on reports from the International Atomic Energy Agency, describe Iran’s uranium stockpile, its centrifuges, and the rate at which its nuclear capacity had grown.

As the negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program approach the June 30 deadline for a final deal, a crucial issue remains unresolved: inspections.

The country’s supreme leader has proclaimed military sites strictly off-limits to inspectors, while the French foreign minister, Laurent Fabius, has said such inspections are a key priority. If the ongoing talks hold to form, the United States will either concede the issue or seek a compromise solution. The latter may be possible; the former would be dangerous.